POLICE V. POST OFFICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 4

POLICE V. POST OFFICE.

AN AMUSING- STORY.

fflj Telccraoh.—S&Klal Corrnsoonaent.i Auckland, February 19. Tho Morrinsville correspondent of the "Herald" supplies a diverting account of a struggle between the police and postal officials for possession ot a stolen parcel. Briefly, the story is that at election timo a lecturer stayed at Morrinsvillo Hotel in. a room also occupied by a permanent boarder. The lecturer was seen posting a parcel. Subsequently (lie boarder missed a sac suit, and a dress suit, and tho arrested lecturer admitted posting the suits to Sydney. The correspondent goes on to say the self-confessed purloiner was taken, to the Auckland I'ost Office. There, in the sorting-room prcsums.bly, he identified the parcel. The police officer with him asked for its temporary possession, as it was require;! as tangible evidence of a, felony. Seein|{ that stamps to the value of a few pennies were duly affixed to the parcel, and it now constituted a portion of his Majesty's mail, the Post Oflico authorities clung to it, Tho police representative pointed out 'that the contents of the parcel had been stolen, and pninted a pathetic picture of the rpal owner lamenting his lots, here at Morriusvillo. The Post Office refused nil entreaties, and tho constable returned to the police station. A detective was summoned lo the presence of a high official. In a little while he waited upon a busy magistrate, who, probably without nioro than a formal inquiry, issued a warrant for the seizure of the stolen clothes. Armed with this document, the detective proceeded to the Auckland Post Office. He demanded to see a high authority, to whom ho mildly proffered a request that the now notorious parcel should Ix , handed over to him. A polite but emphatic refusal was his reward. Tho detective used all the arguments he could think of, including some talk of the dire results of "defeating the ends of justice." It was no good. Tho postal authority was firm. That parcel was tiie properly of (lie Post Office until it was safe aboard the Sydney boat due to leave Auckland in a' few hours. Ultimately the detective, showing his warrant, said ho would now go to find the parcel nnd take it away. Thereupon an inferior official of the Post Office was called upon to hasten to the partieular place where the bono of contention was lying, and put it out of tho detective's reach. Ho proceeded to carry out his instructions, but was not speedy enough for tho detective. In a race for the door, tho emissary of the police won. Likewise he reached the parcel first, seized it, and placed it under his arm with a placid smilo of contentment, There now ensued a dramatic scene. The postal authority whose orders had come to naught arrived in the sorting-room and insisted upon tho enterprising detective disgorging. A negative snake of the head answered him. The detective was reminded that (hero were about 150 men in the building who at tho bidding of the hijh postal authority would prevent him leaving unless he dropped that parcel. To (bin the blond detective retorted that two of the postal staff could stop him if it camo to that. He drily leb fall a quiet hint, however, that if anyone laid a hand upon him he could within a few minutes of being ejected bring ii forco of police and arrest those responsible for interfering with him in tho execution of his duly. Finally, under protest, the detective was permitted to go unmolested, tho parcel going with him.